The Girls With No Names
by Queen of the Castle
Summary: A strange girl passes along a mysterious message, and then follows it up with a far more obvious one. Rose/Jenny, implied Rose/Ten


They faced off, neither willing to tell the other her name.

After travelling with the Doctor, it didn't really surprise Rose that anyone would hold their real name so close to their chest.

For Rose, just the mention of her name nearly ended a whole universe (some stupid prophecy about a woman named Rose appearing without warning being a sign that the end was coming made a faction of the locals try to bring on the apocalypse on purpose, as if that was ever going to be a great idea). She'd learned her lesson.

She wished she knew the reason why the other girl kept _her _name secret. That might explain a few things.

"Well if you're not gonna introduce yourself, you could at least tell me what you're doin' here, waitin' 'round as if you knew I was comin'."

"I _did _know," the girl said. "My Dad couldn't come – something about timelines or paradoxes or one of those other things he keeps trying to tell me are too complicated to explain, as if I'm a kid – so he asked if I'd come instead. And I really sort of wanted to meet you, as well. I've heard so many things. Good things," she was quick to add.

So it seemed the girl knew exactly who Rose was without her having to say her name after all. That left Rose at a distinct disadvantage.

"Who's your Dad, then?" Rose asked.

"Sorry, can't tell you that either," the girl said. "Or so _he _says. Was he that arrogant when you knew him? Never mind, I guess. Anyway, personally I just think he's scared."

"Of me?" Rose asked, incredulous. She couldn't imagine that anyone with the knowledge and technology to send someone to wait for her there would have much to fear from Rose. Inspiring that sort of reaction had always been more the Doctor's thing.

"Oh sure," the girl said flippantly. "I think you're actually one of the things he's most afraid of. I freak him out as well, if it makes you feel better; just the fact that I exist reminds him of things he'd rather forget. I think this time he's more worried about himself, though. He's weird that way. But what can I do? He's the only parent I've ever known."

And wasn't _that _all cryptic, Rose thought, unsure what to make of it. She was very intrigued. Yet another person who apparently knew Rose, even though Rose couldn't think who he could be. She didn't know anyone old enough to be the girl's father who fit with the rest of what the girl had said. Maybe Rose hadn't met him yet, though. Time travel worked that way, sometimes.

"So why'd your Dad send you here?" Rose asked.

"Well, Dad says I need to direct you off to some side universe that only exists for a short amount of time so everything will work out like it's supposed to. There's a woman named Donna Noble that you need to help."

"Donna Noble?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," the girl said. "Dad didn't really bother explaining half of it, but I don't need him to tell me that she's important. Dad's a bit useless without her, actually. When you meet her, you'll see. You'll _want _to help her."

Since Rose wanted to help most everyone she met, she didn't doubt that for a moment even without knowing who any of the people involved were.

"I don't think that's all of it, though," the girl added. "He would never say so, but I think he'd want me to pass something along for him.

"And what's that?"

Lips. It took Rose a second to get past that one word resounding through her brain. The press of lips against hers in that moment was completely unexpected – and more than just a bit weird, since the girl was apparently doing it on behalf of her own _father_. Rose had to admit, though, that it was nice. It had been way too long since she'd kissed anyone. She unconsciously leaned in closer.

There was something... fleeting. Familiar. It wasn't in the way the girl looked (if anything, Rose could see a strange similarity to herself). Rather, it was something about the way she tasted, or the feel of her, or something. Rose didn't know what it was, or quite what it reminded her of, but she sought more of it, caressing the girl's tongue with hers.

"Wow," the girl eventually breathed against Rose's mouth. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of kissing, but _that_... No wonder he's so hung up on you. Although I didn't think you two really got up to much actual kissing back then. I don't get why. I don't think he does either. Even if he's too unable to deal with anything emotional to say so, I know he wishes he could have done that himself before you got separated."

Oh, Rose thought. _Oh_.

She remembered the Doctor saying he was a father once. But he'd also said he was the last of his kind.

"The Doctor's your Dad?" Rose asked, and wasn't quite shocked enough not to be embarrassed by the trace of a surprised squeak in her voice.

The girl smiled, and that was familiar too; Rose had never seen anyone else with a grin that large except the Doctor.

"Do I..." Rose started. "Do I find him again? Am I still with him?"

The girl – the Doctor's _daughter_, Rose was still stunned to even consider – shrugged and shook her head. "I'd love to tell you. Dad gets all annoying when I put the universe at risk, though. Better not."

Rose sighed. Well, she supposed the girl _had_ said the Doctor sent her to make sure things 'worked out'. Rose knew, after having him send her away a number of times supposedly for her own good, that the Doctor's idea of things working out didn't necessarily mean that she'd end up _with _him, but she had to hope.

That wasn't always as easy as it sounded.

"So, that's it, then is it?" Rose asked.

"Sorry," the girl said. "You've still got a lot of running to do. But I hope I see you again sometime, Rose Tyler."

As the girl walked away, Rose wished the girl had shared her name with Rose in turn before leaving. She had the feeling the Doctor never would. At least if his daughter had, it would have meant _something_.

Rose watched the girl go, and remembered watching the Doctor fade. This wasn't like that. She could follow the girl; somewhere not too far away, Rose imagined the Doctor was waiting in the TARDIS for his messenger to return.

She could do that, but she wouldn't. The Doctor had asked her to do something.

She had some important woman named Donna Noble to track down. And, apparently, a lot of running to do.

~FIN~


End file.
